WO2025096190A1

WO2025096190A1 - Fluid coking method

Info

Publication number: WO2025096190A1
Application number: PCT/US2024/051433
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonathan GIESEKE; Geoffrey BOCK; Daniel Rasmussen; Fritz Bernatz; Aalok PATEL
Original assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Co
Current assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Co
Priority date: 2023-10-31
Filing date: 2024-10-15
Publication date: 2025-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-30

Abstract

A fluid coker reactor may be heated with minimal combustion of coke. As an example, a method of heating coke in a fluid coker may include: providing a fluid coker reactor; reacting heavy oil feedstock in a coking zone of the fluid coker reactor to form a vapor phase and hot coke; stripping at least a portion of hydrocarbons that adhere to the hot coke in a stripping zone located in a lower portion of the fluid coker reactor; scrubbing the vapor phase from the fluid coker reactor in a scrubber; and heating the hot coke in a heater, wherein the heater receives the hot coke from the fluid coker reactor, wherein the heater heats the hot coke without substantially combusting the hot coke, and wherein the heater produces a coke product.

Description

FLUID COKING METHOD

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for fluid coking.

BACKGROUND

[0001] Heavy hydrocarbonaceous materials can be converted to more valuable products by various thermal processes including visbreaking, delayed coking, and fluid coking.

[0002] In fluid coking, a heavy oil chargestock, such as a vacuum residuum, is fed to a reactor that has therein a coking zone containing a fluidized bed of hot solid particles, usually coke particles, sometimes referred to as seed coke. The heavy oil undergoes thermal cracking at the high temperatures in the coking zone, resulting in conversion products which include a cracked vapor fraction and solid coke. The solid coke is deposited on the surface of the seed coke particles and a portion of the coked-seed particles is sent from the coking zone to a heater, which is maintained at a temperature higher than that of the coking zone. The coke is heated in the heater, and hot coke particles from the heater are returned to the coking zone as regenerated seed particles, typically serving as the primary heat source for the coking zone.

[0003] In some variants of the fluid coking process known as FLEXICOKING™ (developed by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company), a portion of hot coke from the heater is circulated back and forth to a gasifier, which is maintained at a temperature greater than that of the heater. In the gasifier, substantially all of the remaining coke on the coked-seed particles are burned or gasified in the presence of oxygen (air) and steam to generate low heating value fuel gas, which can be used as fuel or other such purposes. Fluid coking processes, with or without an integrated gasification zone, are described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,726,791; 4,203,759; 4,213,848; and 4,269,696.

[0004] Effective coking is of particular importance as there is currently a trend in the U.S. refining industry toward the processing of heavier, lower-cost crudes. This results in refiners having to contend with much larger quantities of residual materials in the refining process. This, in turn, increases the demands on the refinery’s residual conversion processes. Since the greater part of a barrel of residuum (such as, e.g., the high boiling point bottom products from atmospheric or vacuum distillation columns) can be converted to light ends, gasoline, distillate, and gas oil in a coker, the coker has become even more important in today’s refinery economics. Furthermore, coke, and in particular coke produced using fluid coking, has found many applications including in hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery operations, where coke may be used as a proppant.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0005] A nonlimiting example method of the present disclosure may include: providing a fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor has a coking zone in an upper portion of the fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor contains a fluidized bed of solid particles into which a heavy oil feedstock is introduced, wherein the fluid coker reactor is fluidly connected to an attrition steam line supplying attrition steam; reacting the heavy oil feedstock in the coking zone of the fluid coker reactor to form a vapor phase and hot coke; stripping at least a portion of hydrocarbons that adhere to the hot coke in a stripping zone located in a lower portion of the fluid coker reactor; scrubbing the vapor phase from the fluid coker reactor in a scrubber; and heating the hot coke in a heater, wherein the heater receives the hot coke from the fluid coker reactor, wherein the heater heats the hot coke without substantially combusting the hot coke, and wherein the heater produces a coke product.

[0006] These and other features and attributes of the disclosed methods and systems of the present disclosure and their advantageous applications and/or uses will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] To assist those of ordinary skill in the relevant art in making and using the subject matter hereof, reference is made to the appended drawings. The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the disclosure and should not be viewed as exclusive configurations. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure. [0008] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a nonlimiting example fluid coking system according to the present disclosure.

[0009] FIGS. 2A-2B show diagrams of nonlimiting example heater systems for fluid coking according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for fluid coking.

[0011] The present disclosure provides systems and methods of fluid coking having reduced carbon dioxide emissions due to mitigation of coke combustion for heating, including systems and methods wherein substantially no coke combustion occurs for heating. As a result of reduced combustion, the present disclosure may allow for reduction in direct carbon dioxide emissions for a heater of a fluid coking system of 90% or greater (or 1% to 99%, or 10% to 90%, or 30% to 90%, or 30% to 80%, or 30% to 50%, or 10% to 50%).

[0012] “Substantially no coke combustion,” “without substantial coke combustion,” and like grammatical variations thereof, as used herein, refer to wherein a fraction less than or equal to 10.0 wt% (or less than or equal to 9.0 wt%, or less than or equal to 8.0 wt%, or less than or equal to 7.0 wt%, or less than or equal to 6.0 wt%, or less than or equal to 5.0 wt%, or less than or equal to 1.0 wt%, or 0.01 wt% to 10 wt%, or 0.01 wt% to 7.0 wt%, or 0.01 wt% to 1.0 wt%, or 0.0 wt% to 10.0 wt%, or 0.0 wt% to 7.0 wt%, or 0.0 wt% to 1.0 wt%) of hot coke is combusted in a single pass through the heater, based on a total weight of coke flowed through the heater in a single pass.

[0013] In particular, the present disclosure may employ methods and systems of direct and indirect heating whereby hot coke is heated in a heater of a fluid coking system without substantial combustion of coke. Direct heating may include introduction of a heating gas into the heater such that the heating gas directly contacts hot coke particles, heating the particles. Such a heating gas may, for example, include, but should not be limited to, an inert gas, a flue gas, the like, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, indirect heating may include use of a heat exchange unit providing heat to the heater without direct contact with the coke particles, including methods such as, for example, including, but not limited to, electric resistive heating, molten salt heating, gas heat exchange, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0014] A nonlimiting example fluid coking system according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. Fluid coking system 100 continues reference to U.S. Pat. No. 9,670,417 and 5,176,819, which are incorporated herein by reference. In system 100, a heavy oil feed stream is passed via feed line 112 to the scrubber 122 and subsequently to the connected reactor 120. The reactor 120 contains a fluidized bed of hot seed particles (typically coke particles, as described below) having an upper level indicated at 120a. [0015] It should be noted that there may be additional feed lines connected to the reactor 120 and/or the scrubber 122 in any combination. The additional feed lines may be connected to fresh feed, a recycle feed, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0016] A stripping zone (a lower portion of the reactor 120) has the purpose of removing adhered hydrocarbons from the coke. A fluidizing stripping gas (e.g., steam, nitrogen, air, the like, or any combination thereof) is admitted at the base of the reactor 120 through stripping gas line 124, into the reactor 120 to produce a superficial fluidizing gas velocity in the seed particles. The velocity is typically in the range from 0.15 m/sec to 1.5 m/sec.

[0017] A major portion of the feed undergoes thermal cracking reactions in a coking zone (an upper portion of the reactor 120) in the presence of the hot seed particles to form a vapor phase comprising cracked hydrocarbon and a coke layer containing adhered hydrocarbons on the fluidized seed particles. The vapor phase passes into a scrubber 122 mounted on the top of the coking reactor 120. A stream of heavy materials condensed in the scrubber 122 may be recycled to the coking reactor 120 as shown via line(s) 123 and/or may be conveyed for further use elsewhere. Coker conversion products are removed from the scrubber 122 for fractionation and product recovery in the conventional manner.

[0018] Additionally, an attrition steam line 126 comprising steam may be supplied to the reactor 120 above the stripping gas line 124 in order to provide additional control of the mean particle size of the circulating coke. The attrition steam is supplied via high-velocity nozzles in the reactor vessel to fragment and abrade particles in order to control particle size.

[0019] The coke from the reactor 120 is carried via line 132 to the heater 140, where the coke is introduced into the fluidized bed of hot seed/coke particles in the heater 140 up to an upper level indicated at 140a. In the heater 140, heating of the coked particles takes place to introduce heat required for the endothermic cracking reactions taking place in the reactor 120. The heater 140 may heat the hot coke through indirect heating and/or direct heating without substantially combusting the hot coke. Suitable methods of heating may include, but are not limited to, for example, electric resistive heating, fluid heating (e.g., gaseous heating, liquid heating, the like), the like, or any combination thereof, as described below herein.

[0020] A portion of the hot coke is subsequently recycled from the heater 140 to the coking zone of the reactor 120 through heater return line 134 to supply heat to support the endothermic cracking reactions. Normally, the recycled coke passes out of heater return line 134 from the heater 140 to enter the reactor 120 near the top of the coking zone, as similarly shown in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2011/0206563 (which is incorporated herein by reference), with an inverted cap over the top of the return line to direct the recycled coke particles downwards into the coking zone. The cap on the top of the heater return line 134 may comprise an annular ring supported over the open top of the return line with a flat circular cap plate axially centered over the line and the annular ring, supported by a spider structure supporting the annular ring. In some embodiments, a smaller flow of hot coke from the heater 140 may flow via a second return line and enter higher up in the reactor 120 than heater return line 134 in order to minimize coking of portions of the reactor (e.g., reactor cyclones, if present) and thus minimize the associated increase in the pressure drop. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2011/0206563 for a description of these options.

[0021] The heated solids may be sent to the coking zone in an amount sufficient to maintain the coking temperature in the range of 450°C (840°F) to 700°C (1290°F). The pressure in the coking zone is typically maintained in the range of 0 bar gauge (barg) to 10 barg, preferably in the range of 0.3 barg to 3 barg.

[0022] In some embodiments, a portion of the hot seed/coke from the heater 140 may be passed into the bottom of the stripping zone of reactor 120, allowing the temperature of the stripping zone to be controlled independently of the temperature of the coking zone so as to raise the temperature of the stripping zone above the temperature of the coking zone to achieve higher liquid yields. Besides improving fluidization in the stripping zone, the increase in the stripping zone temperature also may improve stripping of the occluded hydrocarbons to increase liquid yield and reduces fouling although the increase in the temperature of the stripping zone has, in the past, resulted in increases in the temperature of the reaction or coking zone which tend to reduce liquid yield as a result of overcracking. The interposition of the annular baffles above the stripping zone, however, reduces the recirculation of hot coke from the heater 140 into the reaction zone via the stripping zone, thus decoupling the stripping zone from the reaction zone. It should be noted that although discharge of the recycled hot coke from the heater 140 into the stripping zone of the reactor 120 is preferably made on the central axis of the reactor 120, different off-center locations may be selected if flow patterns at the bottom of the coking zone and in the stripper favor.

[0023] The gaseous effluent of the heater 140, including entrained solids, may optionally, in some embodiments, be passed through a cyclone system 160 (e.g., a primary cyclone, a secondary cyclone, the like) in which the separation of the larger entrained solids may occur. The separated larger solids may be returned to the heater bed. The heated gaseous effluent which contains entrained solids may be removed from the heater 140. [0024] A solid portion of hot coke may be removed from heater 140 and passed to an elutriator 150. The elutriator 150 may serve to further purify the hot coke. A gaseous output from the elutriator 150, which may further contain some entrained solids, may be removed overhead from the elutriator 150 and recycled into the heater 140.

[0025] The temperature in the fluidized bed in the heater 140 may be partly maintained by passing gaseous output from the elutriator 150 into the heater 140 via a return line. In some embodiments, supplementary heat may additionally be supplied to the heater 140 by hot coke recirculating from the elutriator 150 through an additional return line.

[0026] In some embodiments, the elutriator 150 may comprise an optional gasifier in which a bed of fluidized coke particles is maintained. As previously described, this gasification comprises a portion of FLEXICOKING™. In the gasifier, hot coke may be converted to a fuel gas by partial combustion in the presence of steam in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The gasifier may be suitably maintained at a temperature above the temperature of the heater, for example, a temperature ranging from about 870°C to 1100°C. The gasifier may be maintained at a suitable pressure, for example, at a pressure ranging from 0 barg to 10 barg, preferably at a pressure ranging from 1.5 barg to 3 barg. Steam, a molecular oxygen-containing gas such as air, commercial oxygen, or air enriched with oxygen may be supplied to a gasifier. The reaction of the coke particles in the gasifier with the steam and the oxygen-containing gas produces a hydrogen and carbon monoxide-containing fuel gas of low heating value, typically from 3 MJ/kg to 7 MJ/kg. While hot coke may also be recirculated to the heater from the gasifier (if present as in a FLEXICOKING™ unit).

[0027] Coke product may be obtained via a coke product line 152. It should be noted that coke product line 152 may be fluidly connected to the bottom of the elutriator 150 (if present) or in some embodiments may be directly connected to the heater 140. Subsequently, coke product may be used for purposes including, but not limited to, for example, as proppant, or the like.

[0028] Heating

[0029] The heater of fluid coking methods and systems of the present disclosure (e.g., heater 140 of FIG. 1) may be operated in any suitable fashion that does not substantially combust the hot coke within the heater. The heater may heat the hot coke at a temperature of 900°F to 1200°F (or 900°F to 1100°F, or 1000°F to 1200°F, or 1100°F to 1200°F, or 1100°F to 1300°F, or 1200°F or greater, or 1300°F or greater). Such high temperatures may be necessary to catalyze or otherwise promote reactions for coke production from starting material and to achieve appropriate reaction yields for said production. Conventional systems that do not substantially combust coke within a heater for heating hot coke may not be able to achieve said temperatures, particularly temperatures in excess of 1050°F, or in excess of 1100°F, or in excess of 1200°F. The present disclosure allows for achieving of such high temperatures due to effective thermal communication with hot coke within the heater.

[0030] Heaters of the present disclosure may utilize direct heating, indirect heating, or a combination thereof. A nonlimiting example system 200a utilizing direct heating is shown in FIG. 2A. Heater 240 may have fluidly connected thereto a heating line 242 for introducing a heating fluid directly to the hot coke of the heater 240. Heating line 242 may be connected to a heating supply unit 242a. Such a heating supply unit may comprise suitable equipment (e.g., a pump, a blower, a furnace, the like, or any combination thereof) for heating a fluid and for promoting movement of the fluid to the heater 240. It should be noted that in some embodiments heating line 242 may be connected to other components within a fluid coking system for purposes including, for example, recycling of heating fluid (e.g., recycling of gas from elutriator 150 to heater 140, as described herein). Heating of the hot coke in a direct manner with a heating fluid may include use of a heating gas.

[0031] A nonlimiting example system 200b utilizing indirect heating is shown in FIG. 2B. Heater 240 may have fluidly connected thereto an indirect heating loop 244 having thereupon a heating supply unit 244a and a heat exchange unit 244b, wherein the heat exchange unit 244b is embedded within heater 240. Indirect heating according to the present disclosure may comprise any suitable method of heating wherein a heat source is in indirect thermal communication with the hot coke of the heater including, but not limited to, for example, electric resistive heating, indirect fluid heating, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0032] As a nonlimiting example, electric resistive heating may be used for indirect heating of hot coke within the heater. In an electric resistive heating unit, heating supply unit 244a may comprise a power supply and heat exchange unit 244b may comprise a resistor or other such electric heating method.

[0033] As a nonlimiting example, fluid heating comprising indirect fluid heating may be used for indirect heating of hot coke within the heater. Indirect fluid heating may include use of a heating liquid passed through a heat exchange unit of a heater (e.g., heat exchange unit 244b of FIG. 2B) and returned to a heating supply unit (e.g., heating supply unit 244a of FIG. 2B). The heating liquid may be heated through any suitable means including, but not limited to, for example, combustion heating, geothermal heating, solar heating, electric heating, the like, or any combination thereof. The heating liquid may preferably comprise molten salt. Molten salt may be suited for use in heaters for fluid coking as temperature operating ranges for molten salt are higher than conventional heating liquids. Example of molten salts suitable for heating may include, but should not be limited to, potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite, sodium nitrite, lithium chloride, potassium chloride, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0034] For both direct fluid heating and indirect fluid heating methods described above, a heating gas may be used as a heating fluid, wherein the heating gas may be in thermal communication with the hot coke so as to heat the hot coke to a desired temperature for use in the heater and coking system at large. It should additionally be noted that gas utilized in gas heating may flow at any suitable pressure. The pressure of the gas may depend on factors including, but not limited to, for example, temperatures needed for heating the hot coke, pressure within the heater, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0035] A suitable heating gas may comprise an alternative fuel flue gas. The alternative fuel flue gas may comprise flue gas produced upon complete or partial combustion of an alternative fuel at a heat supply unit (e.g., heat supply unit 242a of FIG. 2A, heat supply unit 244a of FIG. 2B). The alternative fuel may comprise any suitable combustible fuel, with fluid fuels (e.g., liquid, gaseous, or a combination thereof) being preferred. Examples of alternative fuels may include, but are not limited to, hydrogen, natural gas (e.g., methane), the like, or any combination thereof. The alternative fuel may preferably have a carbon dioxide intensity of 0.3 tons CO2 per MWh or less, or 0.2 tons CO2 per MWh or less, or 0.1 tons CO2 per MWh or less, or 0.01 tons CO2 per MWh to 0.3 tons CO2 per MWh or less, or 0.01 tons CO2 per MWh to 0.2 tons CO2 per MWh or less, or 0.01 tons CO2 per MWh to 0.1 tons CO2 per MWh or less.

[0036] “ Carbon dioxide intensity,” and grammatical variations thereof, as used herein refers to a quantity of carbon dioxide emitted directly from combustion of a fuel. Carbon dioxide intensity may be expressed per MWh of heat generated under ideal thermodynamic conditions wherein all theoretical heat directly generated from combustion is captured.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an inert gas may be used as a heating gas. The inert gas may be heated in a heat supply unit (e.g., heat supply unit 242a of FIG. 2A, heat supply unit 244a of FIG. 2B) and subsequently used to heat the hot coke. Examples of suitable inert gasses may include, but are not limited to, nitrogen, argon, air, the like, or any combination thereof.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the heating gas may comprise water vapor (steam). The steam may be heated through any suitable means (e.g., a boiler, solar heating, the like, or any combination thereof) and subsequently used to heat the hot coke through direct heating and/or indirect heating. [0039] Furthermore, methods and systems of the present disclosure may include use of a fluidizing gas within the heater. Use of a fluidizing gas may include a non-heating fluidizing gas and/or any of the above-described heating gasses used for direct heating comprising fluid heating may each serve as a fluidizing gas, in any combination, whether or not the gasses contribute significant thermal duty to heating the hot coke. As a nonlimiting example, a method of the present disclosure may include heating hot coke within the heater of a fluid coking system with electric resistive heating and introducing nitrogen gas as a fluidizing gas, wherein the nitrogen provides no heating capability to the hot coke within the heater. As a second nonlimiting example, a method of the present disclosure may include heating hot coke within the heater of a fluid coking system with gas heating from an alternative fuel flue gas wherein the alternative fuel flue gas flows through a heat exchanger embedded in the heater, and introducing nitrogen gas, wherein the nitrogen gas and the alternative fuel flue gas each provide at least partial heating to the hot coke within the heater, and wherein the nitrogen gas serves as a fluidizing gas.

[0040] Such a fluidizing gas may be used to maintain a fluidized bed of hot coke within the heater. A fluidized bed of coke within the reactor may be necessary to maintain appropriate movement of hot coke particles within the heater and/or mitigate fouling within the heater. Any suitable flowrate of fluidizing gas may be used. A fluidizing gas may have a superficial fluidizing gas velocity within the heater. Such a fluidizing velocity within the heater may typically be in a range from 1 ft/sec to 35 ft/sec, or 1 ft/sec to 30 ft/sec, or 1 ft/sec to 20 ft/sec, or 1 ft/sec to 10 ft/sec, or 10 ft/sec to 30 ft/sec. A fluidizing velocity of 1 ft/sec to 10 ft/sec may be preferred.

[0041] Methods

[0042] Methods of the present disclosure include operation of a fluid coking system (such as, for example, the nonlimiting example system described above in reference to FIG. 1) including: providing a fluid coker reactor. As described herein, the fluid coker reactor may have a coking zone in an upper portion of the fluid coker reactor and may contain within the fluid coker reactor a fluidized bed of solid particles (e.g., seed particles) into which a heavy oil feedstock is introduced and subsequently reacted therewith. The reaction of the heavy oil feedstock and solid particles within the fluid coker reactor may form a vapor phase and hot coke. Furthermore, during coking as described above, attrition steam may be added to the fluid coker reactor. The attrition steam may be supplied to the fluid coker reactor to impart energy to reactants therein and thus to fragment and abrade particles in order to control particle size of the fluid coking reaction. Methods herein may further include stripping at least a portion of hydrocarbons that adhere to the hot coke in a stripping zone within a lower portion of the fluid coker reactor, as well as additional activities including scrubbing the vapor phase from the fluid coker reactor in a scrubber fluidly connected thereto.

[0043] Following reaction in the fluid coker reactor, the hot coke may pass to a heater, and the method may further include heating the hot coke in a heater, wherein the heater receives the hot coke from the fluid coker reactor, wherein the heater heats the hot coke without substantially combusting the hot coke as described herein, and wherein the heater produces a coke product.

[0044] It should be noted than any of the herein-described heating methods may be used in any combination, including in parallel or in sequence, according to the present disclosure. As a nonlimiting example, electric resistive heating may be used to heat molten salt for liquid heating, in combination with a flow of heated air, wherein the heated air may serve as a fluidizing gas.

[0045] Seed Material and Feedstock

[0046] Although the seed material in the reactor will normally be coke particles, the seed material may also be other refractory materials selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, magnesia, or mullite. The seed material may also be synthetically prepared, or naturally occurring materials, such as pumice, clay, kieselguhr, diatomaceous earth, or bauxite. The seed particles preferably have an average particle size of about 40 microns to 1000 microns, preferably from about 40 microns to 400 microns.

[0047] Concerning coke feedstocks, any heavy hydrocarbonaceous oil which is typically fed to a fluid coking process can be used in the present disclosure. Generally, the heavy oil will have a Conradson Carbon Residue (ASTM D189-06[2019]) of about 5 wt% to 40 wt% and be comprised of fractions, the majority of which boil above about 500°C and more usually above 540°C or even higher (e.g., 590°C). Suitable heavy oils include heavy petroleum crudes, reduced petroleum crudes, petroleum atmospheric distillation bottoms, petroleum vacuum distillation bottoms, pitch, asphalt, bitumen, liquid products derived from coal liquefaction processes, including coal liquefaction bottoms, and mixtures of these materials.

[0048] A typical petroleum chargestock suitable for coking in a fluid coking unit will have, for example, a composition and properties within the following ranges:

[0049] Conradson Carbon 5 wt% to 40 wt%

[0050] Sulfur 1.5 wt% to 8 wt%

[0051] Hydrogen 9 wt% to 11 wt%

[0052] Nitrogen 0.2 wt% to 2 wt%

[0053] Carbon 80 wt% to 86 wt% [0054] Metals 1 wppm to 2000 wppm

[0055] Boiling Point 340°C+-650°C+

[0056] API Gravity -10° to 35°

[0057] Additional Embodiments

[0058] Embodiment 1. A method comprising: providing a fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor has a coking zone in an upper portion of the fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor contains a fluidized bed of solid particles into which a heavy oil feedstock is introduced, wherein the fluid coker reactor is fluidly connected to an attrition steam line supplying attrition steam; reacting the heavy oil feedstock in the coking zone of the fluid coker reactor to form a vapor phase and hot coke; stripping at least a portion of hydrocarbons that adhere to the hot coke in a stripping zone located in a lower portion of the fluid coker reactor; scrubbing the vapor phase from the fluid coker reactor in a scrubber; and heating the hot coke in a heater, wherein the heater receives the hot coke from the fluid coker reactor, wherein the heater heats the hot coke without substantially combusting the hot coke, and wherein the heater produces a coke product.

[0059] Embodiment 2. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the heater heats the hot coke at a temperature of 1100°F to 1200°F.

[0060] Embodiment s. The method of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: flowing a heating liquid through a heat exchanger wherein the heat exchanger is embedded in the heater and in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with heat from the heat exchanger.

[0061] Embodiment 4. The method of Embodiment 3, wherein the heating liquid comprises a molten salt.

[0062] Embodiment s. The method of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: passing an electric current through an electric resistive heater, wherein the electric resistive heater is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with heat from the electric resistive heater.

[0063] Embodiment 6. The method of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: heating the hot coke with a heating gas.

[0064] Embodiment 7. The method of Embodiment 6, wherein the heating gas comprises an alternative fuel flue gas and wherein heating the hot coke with a heating gas comprises: combusting an alternative fuel to produce the alternative fuel flue gas; flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater such that the alternative fuel flue gas is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with the alternative fuel flue gas.

[0065] Embodiment 8. The method of Embodiment 7, wherein flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater comprises flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through a heat exchanger embedded in the heater.

[0066] Embodiment 9. The method of Embodiment 7, wherein flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater comprises contacting the alternative fuel flue gas with the hot coke.

[0067] Embodiment 10. The method of Embodiment 7 or 9, wherein the alternative fuel flue gas at least partially fluidizes the hot coke within the heater.

[0068] Embodiment 11. The method of any one of Embodiments 7-10, wherein the alternative fuel comprises hydrogen, natural gas, or any combination thereof.

[0069] Embodiment 12. The method of any one of Embodiments 7-11, wherein the alternative fuel has a carbon dioxide intensity of 0.3 tons CO2 per MWh or less.

[0070] Embodiment 13. The method of any one of Embodiments 1-12, further comprising introducing a fluidizing gas to the heater to at least partially fluidize the hot coke.

[0071] Embodiment 14. The method of Embodiment 13, wherein the fluidizing gas heats the hot coke.

[0072] Embodiment 15. The method of Embodiment 13 or 14, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises an alternative fuel flue gas.

[0073] Embodiment 16. The method of Embodiment 13 or 14, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises an inert gas.

[0074] Embodiment 17. The method of any one of Embodiments 13-16, wherein the fluidizing gas has a fluidizing velocity from 1 ft/sec to 10 ft/sec.

[0075] Embodiment 18. The method of any one of Embodiments 13-17, further comprising passing the coke product and the fluidizing gas to an elutriator, wherein the elutriator further purifies the coke product, and wherein the elutriator recycles at least a portion of the fluidizing gas to the heater.

[0076] Embodiment 19. The method of Embodiment 6, wherein the heating gas comprises steam and wherein heating the hot coke with a heating gas comprises: flowing the steam into the heater such that the steam is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with the steam. [0077] Embodiment 20. The method of Embodiment 19, wherein the steam at least partially fluidizes the hot coke within the heater.

[0078] Embodiment 21. The method of any one of Embodiments 1-20, wherein heating the hot coke in the heater emits 30% to 90% less carbon dioxide than a coke combustion-based heater.

[0079] Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular examples and configurations disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative examples disclosed above may be altered, combined, or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein. While compositions and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various components or steps, the compositions and methods can also “consist essentially of’ or “consist of’ the various components and steps. All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces.

[0080] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the present specification and associated claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the incarnations of the present inventions. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claim, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0081] One or more illustrative incarnations incorporating one or more invention elements are presented herein. Not all features of a physical implementation are described or shown in this application for the sake of clarity. It is understood that in the development of a physical embodiment incorporating one or more elements of the present invention, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer’s goals, such as compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which vary by implementation and from time to time. While a developer’s efforts might be time consuming, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art and having benefit of this disclosure.

[0082] While compositions and methods are described herein in terms of “comprising” various components or steps, the compositions and methods can also “consist essentially of’ or “consist of’ the various components and steps.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising: providing a fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor has a coking zone in an upper portion of the fluid coker reactor, wherein the fluid coker reactor contains a fluidized bed of solid particles into which a heavy oil feedstock is introduced, wherein the fluid coker reactor is fluidly connected to an attrition steam line supplying attrition steam; reacting the heavy oil feedstock in the coking zone of the fluid coker reactor to form a vapor phase and hot coke; stripping at least a portion of hydrocarbons that adhere to the hot coke in a stripping zone located in a lower portion of the fluid coker reactor; scrubbing the vapor phase from the fluid coker reactor in a scrubber; and heating the hot coke in a heater, wherein the heater receives the hot coke from the fluid coker reactor, wherein the heater heats the hot coke without substantially combusting the hot coke, and wherein the heater produces a coke product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heater heats the hot coke at a temperature of 1100°F to 1200°F.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: flowing a heating liquid through a heat exchanger wherein the heat exchanger is embedded in the heater and in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with heat from the heat exchanger.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the heating liquid comprises a molten salt.

5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: passing an electric current through an electric resistive heater, wherein the electric resistive heater is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with heat from the electric resistive heater.

6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein heating the hot coke comprises: heating the hot coke with a heating gas.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the heating gas comprises steam and wherein heating the hot coke with a heating gas comprises: flowing the steam into the heater such that the steam is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with the steam.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the heating gas comprises an alternative fuel flue gas and wherein heating the hot coke with a heating gas comprises: combusting an alternative fuel to produce the alternative fuel flue gas; flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater such that the alternative fuel flue gas is in thermal communication with the hot coke; and heating the hot coke with the alternative fuel flue gas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater comprises flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through a heat exchanger embedded in the heater.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein flowing the alternative fuel flue gas through the heater comprises contacting the alternative fuel flue gas with the hot coke.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alternative fuel flue gas at least partially fluidizes the hot coke within the heater.

12. The method of any of claims 8-11, wherein the alternative fuel comprises hydrogen, natural gas, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of any of claims 8-12, wherein the alternative fuel has a carbon dioxide intensity of 0.3 tons CO2 per MWh or less.

14. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising introducing a fluidizing gas to the heater to at least partially fluidize the hot coke, wherein the fluidizing gas (i) comprises an inert gas, (ii) heats the hot coke, and (iii) has a fluidizing velocity from 1 ft/sec to 10 ft/sec.

15. The method of claim 17, further comprising passing the coke product and the fluidizing gas to an elutriator, wherein the elutriator further purifies the coke product, and wherein the elutriator recycles at least a portion of the fluidizing gas to the heater.

16. The method of any preceding claim, wherein heating the hot coke in the heater emits 30% to 90% less carbon dioxide than a coke combustion-based heater.